Human-Assisted Web Search: The Next Big Thing

What's the big idea?

Algorithmic search engines, such as Google and Yahoo, have redefined how we gather information and made possible the Web as we use it. But critics believe that, for some subjects, no machine's computational analysis can replace good old-fashioned human thinkin'. Not yet, anyway. The new ChaCha.com search engine, therefore, relies on "expert" human guides who interact with searchers via real-time chat. These online helpers then sort through the hits provided by an algorithmic search and handpick the most relevant results.

How does it work?

ChaCha is targeted at consumers who need specific results, but don't have enough familiarity with their desired subject matter to search for it efficiently. An algorithm matches each query to a guide with a professed expertise in the subject matter. The guide then continues the search, narrowing down the results based on the user's feedback. Results from each search are indexed for future use, so in theory, ChaCha gets smarter over time.

Will it catch on?

Human-assisted searches have the potential to fill the gaps where traditional search engines fail -- provided the guides have genuine expertise. We tested the service using multiple searches for obscure '80s TV trivia information. ChaCha guides found the right info, but searches took up to 8 minutes, compared to 11/2 minutes to get the same results, using the same queries, in Google. ChaCha.com is still in beta testing, so it may get better over time, but so far it seems that human advice can be as hit-and-miss as anything else on the Web.